Deep in Sungai Segama, Lahad Datu, Sabah, where palm estates stretch endlessly under the tropical sky, stood a busy palm oil mill. At the heart of this mill was Rubit Gugu, the Human Resource Manager, known for his calm approach and steady leadership. One season, he faced a delicate but dangerous situation: a workplace conflict shaped by both micromanagement and misaligned expectations.
The Spark of Conflict
The conflict began between an Assistant Mill Manager and the maintenance technicians.
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The Assistant Manager demanded extreme detail—dictating which screws to use, the exact format of reports, and requiring progress updates every two hours.
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The technicians felt suffocated. They believed their expertise was being questioned, and worse, they were asked to finish a major repair in just one day when realistically it needed at least three.
Micromanagement and expectation conflict collided, creating frustration, low morale, and tension that soon spread across the workshop floor.
Rubit’s Intervention
Rubit knew that unresolved conflict could poison a workplace: productivity would drop, people might resign, and relationships could collapse. He chose to step in with a structured but human approach.
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Private Listening Sessions
He first met the Assistant Manager, who admitted his fears—failure, pressure from top management, and the belief that constant control was the only way to ensure success.
Next, Rubit listened to the technicians. They spoke of feeling mistrusted, overwhelmed by unrealistic targets, and drained by the lack of autonomy. -
Identifying Root Causes
Rubit mapped out the real issues:-
Micromanagement was rooted in fear of failure and lack of trust.
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Expectation conflict came from poor communication and unclear timelines.
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Joint Dialogue
Rubit brought both parties into a meeting room. On a whiteboard, he drew out the actual workflow, highlighting safety requirements, realistic repair durations, and dependencies.
He gave the Assistant Manager space to explain his expectations, then let the technicians describe the on-ground realities. -
Rebuilding Trust
Rubit reminded everyone:
“Micromanagement may give an illusion of control, but it destroys morale. Trust and clarity are the real engines of productivity.”
The Resolution
Together, they reached several practical agreements:
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Clear Expectations – Every major task would now begin with a written work plan, including realistic timelines agreed by both sides.
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Smart Check-ins – Instead of hourly interruptions, the Assistant Manager would only request one concise daily update.
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Technical Autonomy – Technicians would retain decision-making power on technical matters, provided safety and quality were upheld.
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Feedback Loop – After each project, a post-mortem meeting would be held to learn and improve for the future.
The Outcome
In just a few weeks, the atmosphere changed. The technicians worked with renewed motivation, feeling trusted and respected. The Assistant Manager discovered that by focusing on clarity and results instead of micromanaging, he actually had fewer headaches and smoother progress. The workshop became calmer, and major repairs were completed on time without sacrificing safety or quality.
The Leadership Lesson
For the people of Sungai Segama Mill, the episode became a valuable lesson: micromanagement and expectation conflicts, though subtle, can quietly damage a workplace. Yet, handled wisely, they can transform into opportunities for growth.
Through Rubit Gugu’s steady hand, the mill rediscovered balance. He proved that an HR Manager is not merely an enforcer of policies but a builder of trust, clarity, and harmony—turning conflict into collaboration and pressure into productivity.
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